Immediately after the end of the race in Qatar last weekend, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko had controversially suggested that Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let McLaren’s Lando Norris past to finish fourth rather than fifth and help him earn an extra couple of points ahead of yesterday’s Drivers’ title decider in Abu Dhabi. It has to be added too that the management of F1’s own live television coverage was flawed, as it helped to encourage the incorrect theory that Antonelli had assisted Norris, which no doubt influenced the view of Marko based in the pitlane.

This situation not only infuriated the Mercedes supremo, Toto Wolff, but also sadly led to some fans around the world resorting to online abuse of the teenage Italian driver, even including some death threats. As a result, Marko was rightly forced to issue a public apology the following day, with Wolff set to raise the issue with the FIA governing body about online fan behaviour standards in the social media-dominated world we all live in.


At the start of the Abu Dhabi weekend, Haas announced that MoneyGram will be replaced by Toyota as its title sponsor with effect from next year, and the team will be known as TGR Haas F1. TGR stands for Toyota Gazoo Racing, the motorsport and competition division of the Japanese automotive giant.

Many will recall that Toyota ran its Formula 1 team from 2002 to 2009, based in Germany, but, despite extensive funding, it was massively unsuccessful and failed to win a single Grand Prix, let alone a Constructors’ or Drivers’ championship title during the eight years it competed in the peak of world motorsport. However, modern F1 is in rude health, and its success is reflected by the fact that global brands such as Audi, Cadillac, Ford and Toyota are willingly being drawn into the fold.


Meanwhile, Red Bull created its own news by confirming its Formula 1 driver line-ups for next season, and after a strong rookie campaign for Racing Bulls, the French/Algerian Isack Hadjar has been promoted to become Max Verstappen’s latest partner in the main Red Bull team. Arvid Lindblad, an 18-year-old British, Swedish, and Indian F1 newcomer, will join Liam Lawson at Racing Bulls. The latter is a Red Bull Junior driver and is the youngest ever winner in F2.

This means that Yuki Tsunoda, after a five-year stint in Formula 1, will no longer be on the grid next year, although he will remain as a reserve driver for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls. His demotion has sadly been self-inflicted, as, prior to the final round in Abu Dhabi, the diminutive Japanese driver had scored just 33 points compared to the 396 achieved by Verstappen in the same car, and Formula 1 has always been a ruthless, results-orientated sport, in which you understandably live or die, figuratively speaking, by what you achieve on track.


Looking at the bigger picture, the presidential election process for the sport’s FIA governing body will take place this week, although legal proceedings in the French courts could overturn the result in February. For now at least, Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be re-elected, as under current FIA rules he faces no opposition.


On a personal note, the first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix I attended in person was the 1992 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where Nigel Mansell thrilled the capacity crowd with a dominant performance in his amazing Williams FW14B. He claimed a lights-to-flag victory from pole position, also setting the fastest lap along the way, and his teammate, Riccardo Patrese, was second. It was also the day that Damon Hill made his F1 race debut for the uncompetitive Brabham team.

This recollection sprang to mind this weekend in Abu Dhabi as Mansell went on to wrap up his one and only Formula 1 Drivers’ title in August that year at the Hungarian round, and it struck me how different that season was from this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where the battle to become the 2025 world champion went right down to the wire at the last event on the calendar.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.

Read my report of yesterday's race here Verstappen Dominates In Abu Dhabi, But Norris Takes The Title